External female urinal



March 26, 1968 r. B. MAYHORNE 3,374,790

EXTERNAL FEMALE URINAL Filed Dec. 2, 1963 INVENTOR Irene B. Mayhorne ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,374,790 EXTERNAL FEMALE URINAL Irene B. Mayhorne, Perry Hall Medical Center, Baltimore, Md. Filed Dec. 2, 1963, Ser. No. 327,297 11 Claims. (Cl. 128-295) The present invention relates to an external female urinal, and more particularly to an external female urinal having a readily separable and flexible reception device, and a sealing pad to prevent escape of urine. Catheters and urinals are used where individuals are ill or are incontinent. conventionally, catheters used in hospitals for female patients are tubular devices which are inserted into the bladder. These are internal or indwelling catheters, and they are used by incontinent and ill women. Internal, or indwelling female catheters have several objectionable features, such as discomfort to the patient, risk of urinary tract infection, and leakage of urine past the catheter, resulting in embarrassment, objectionable odor, skin irritation, added laundering, and accelerated deterioration of bed covering.

Another form of female receptor which has been proposed is the external urinal, which is not inserted into the bladder. While this proposal has some advantages, in principle, over the internal female catheter, such as avoidance of the likelihood of infection, the specific devices incorporating the external female urinal concept have not proven satisfactory. In one example, a glass receptacle was secured to straps adapted to hold it against the exterior of the vulva. Such a device is objectionable because it is uncomfortable, subject to leakage of urine, difficult to sterilize, and bulky to store in quantity.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the receptors heretofore known by providing an external female urinal which will completely eliminate urinary tract infection and eliminate trauma or irritation to tissue or skin of the wearer.

Another object of the present invention is the provi- Sion of an external female urinal which is substantially leakproof.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an external female urinal which will readily conform to and seal against the exterior of the vulva region.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of an external female urinal which is comfortable to the wearer.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an external female urinal which may be readily fabricated from available material at low cost.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an external female urinal which may be utilized for intake-output fluid measurement and for holding urine specimens for examination.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a female urinal which may be easily stored and sterilized.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily understood from the following specification and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a urinal in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a part of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows thereof.

FIGURE 4 is a partly diagrammatic view illustrating the positioning of the urinal of FIGURE 1 on the body of a female patient.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like or corresponding reference numerals are used to designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIGURE 1 an external female urinal generally designated 10 and comprising an adjustable waistband 12. An apron 14 is secured at its upper edge to the waistband 12 and extends generally downwardly therefrom, apron 14 being generally in the form of a trapezoid. Adjacent the bottom, apron 14 has a pair of separable securing elements or fastener parts 16, only one of which is shown in FIGURE 1.

An adjustable back strap 18 is attached to the waistband 12 generally at the rear thereof, and extends downwardly as shown. At its lower end, strap 18 has a part (not shown) of a separable fastener.

A sheet 20 of generally elongate triangular configuration is provided, having at its broader end (see FIGURE 2) a pair of separable fastener parts 22, these being releasably engaged with the separable fastener parts 16 on apron 14. At its pointed end, the sheet 20 has a separable fastener part 24 which is releasably engaged with a separable fastener part on the strap 18. Sheet 20 is provided with an oval opening 26 having its long or major axis extending longitudinally of sheet 20 and along the line between the apron 14 and strap 18. Sheet 20, which is of pliable, foldable, water impervious material, such as polyethylene, has secured to it a flexible foamed plastic pad 28 which surrounds the opening 26. As may be seen best in FIGURE 3, the foamed plastic pad 28 is relatively thin at the end thereof closest to the apron 14, and is relatively thick at the end thereof closest to the strap 18. Preferably, the thin end of the pad 28 is one-quarter inch thick and the other end is one inch thick.

The sheet 20 is not, in its preferred form, triangular, but is characterized by arcuate indentations 32 and 34 in the long sides thereof, the pad 28 also having arcuate indentations which conform to the indentations 32 and 34.

A funnel-like receiver 40 of pliable foldable waterimpervious material, such as polyethylene, is attached at its larger end to the sheet 20 on the side opposite pad 2 8, the opening of receiver 40 conforming to the opening 26 in the sheet 20 so that it is in surrounding relationship to it. As may be seen in FIGURE 1, the receiver 40 may have attached to it at its end remote from sheet 20 a tube 42 of any desired length which may terminate in a valve 44. As will be understood, the tube 42 may be connected with a suitable bag or bottle which will receive and hold the urine of the patient.

In FIGURE 4, the urinal 10 is shown applied to the body B of a patient, with apron 14 and strap 18 holding the sheet 20 and receiver 40 in position. The pad 28 will be seen to conform to the curvature of the body B, so that, being held in firm engagement with the exterior surface of body B, leakage of urine will not occur.

The urinal 10 may be easily attached to the body of a patient, with the pad 28 in position to direct urine discharged by the patient into the receiver 40. The arcuate indentations 32 and 34 will permit the sheet 20 and pad 28 to be placed between the legs of the patient so as to minimize discomfort. Due to the pliable character of all of the parts of the urinal 10 (with the exception of the separable fasteners which are of no significance because of their position and/or dimensions) the urinal 10 may be so positioned that the pad 28 is securely and comfortably held in complete conformity to and against the body of the wearer. Consequently, urine discharged by the wearer will flow through the opening 26 and into the receiver 40. There will be no leakage of the urine, due to the seal provided by paid 28.

As will be readily understood, the receiver 40 may be either integral with or separable from the tube 42, and if the latter, an appropriate closing device will be utilized at the small end thereof.

The urinal herein disclosed will not only provide a substantially leakproof engagement with the body of the wearer, as indicated hereinabove, and will not only provide for the comfort of the wearer when applied, but is also characterized by being readily sterilized, so that it may be reused, or alternatively may be made of materials so economical in cost and fabrication as to permit the sheet 20, pad 28 and receiver 40 to be discarded after use. Thus, the external female urinal herein disclosed may be utilized with comfort, safety and economy. Further, the construction permits the changing of one sheet, receiver and pad for another with minimum disturbance to the patient.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An external female urinal apparatus comprising a waist band, an apronsecured at its upper edge to said waist band and extending downwardly therefrom, said apron having separable securing elements adjacent the bottom edge thereof, a strap attached at the upper end thereof to said waist band and having a separable securing element at the lower end thereof, a flexible water-impervious sheet of generally triangular configuration having separable securing elements cooperating with said aforementioned securing elements to thereby detachably secure it to said apron and strap, said sheet having a generally oval opening therein with its major axis extending along a line between said apron and strap, a flexible foam plastic pad attached to said sheet and surrounding said opening, said pad being of lesser thickness at the portion thereof closest to said apron and increasing in thickness toward said strap, said sheet having arcuate indentations in the sides thereof adjacent said opening and said pad having corresponding indentations therein, a funnel-like receiver of flexible, water-impervious material attached at its larger end to said sheet on the side thereof opposite said pad and in surrounding relationship to said opening, and means at the smaller end of said receiver for conducting fluid therefrom.

2. An external female urinal apparatus comprising a waist band, an apron secured at its upper edge to said waist band and extending downwardly therefrom, said apron having separable securing elements adjacent the bottom edge thereof, a strap attached at the upper end thereof to said waist band and having a separable securing element at the lower end thereof, a flexible waterimpervious sheet of generally triangular configuration having separable securing elements cooperating with said aforementioned securing elements to thereby detachably secure it to said apron and strap, said sheet having a generally oval opening therein with its major axis extending along a line between said apron and strap, a flexible foam plastic pad attached to said sheet and surrounding said opening, said pad being of lesser thickness at the portion thereof closest to said apron and increasing in thickness toward said strap, a funnel-like receiver of flexible, water-impervious material attached at its larger end to said sheet on the side thereof opposite said pad and in surrounding relationship to said opening, and means at the smaller end of said receiver for conducting fluid therefrom.

3. An external female urinal apparatus comprising a waist band, an apron secured at its upper edge to said waist band and extending downwardly therefrom, said apron having separable securing elements adjacent the bottom edge thereof, a strap attached at the upper end thereof to said waist band and having a separable securing element at the lower end thereof, a urinal comprising a flexible water-impervious sheet of generally triangular configuration having separable securing elements cooperating with said aforementioned securing elements thereby detachably secure it to said apron and strap, said sheet having a generally oval opening therein with its major axis extending along a line between said apron and strap, a flexible foam plastic pad attached to said sheet and surrounding said opening, said sheet having arcuate indentations in the sides thereof adjacent said opeing and said pad having corresponding indentations therein, a funnellike receiver of flexible, water-impervious material attached at its larger end to said sheet on the side thereof opposite said pad and in surrounding relationship to said opening, and means at the smaller end of said receiver for conducting fluid therefrom.

4. An external female urinal apparatus comprising a waist band, an apron secured at its upper edge to said waist band and extending downwardly therefrom, a strap attached at the upper end thereof to said waist band, a flexible water-impervious sheet of generally triangular configuration attached to said apron and strap, said sheet having a generally oval opening therein with its major axis extending along a line between said apron and strap, a flexible foam plastic pad attached to said sheet and surrounding said opening, said pad being of lesser thickness at the portion thereof closest to said apron and increasing in thickness toward said strap, said sheet having arcuate indentations in the sides thereof adjacent said opening and said pad having corresponding indentations therein, a funnel-like receiver of flexible, water-impervious material attached at its larger end to said sheet on the side thereof opposite said pad and in surrounding relationship to said opening, and means at the smaller end of said receiver for conducting fluid therefrom.

5. An external female urinal apparatus comprising a waist band, an apron secured at its upper edge to said waist band and extending downwardly therefrom, a strap attached at the upper end thereof to said waist band, a flexible water-impervious sheet of generally triangular configuration attached to said apron and strap, said sheet having a generally oval opening therein with its major axis extending along a line between said apron and strap, a flexible foam plastic pad attached to said sheet and surrounding said opening, said sheet having arcuate indentations in the side thereof adjacent said opening and said pad having corresponding indentations therein, a funnellike receiver of flexible, water-impervious material attached at its larger end to said sheet on the side thereof opposite said pad and in surrounding relationship to said opening, and means at the smaller end of said receiver for conducting fluid therefrom.

6. An external female urinal apparatus comprising a waist band, an apron secured at its uper edge to said waist band and extending downwardly therefrom, a strap attached at the upper end thereof to said waist band, a flexible water-impervious sheet of generally triangular configuration attached to said apron and strap, said sheet having a generally oval opening therein with its major axis extending along a line between said apron and strap, a flexible foam plastic pad attached to said sheet and surrounding said opening, said pad being of lesser thickness at the portion thereof closest to said apron and increasing in thickness toward said strap, a funnel-like receiver of flexible, water-impervious material attached at its larger end to said sheet on the side thereof opposite said pad and in surrounding relationship to said opening, and means at the smaller end of said receiver for conducting fluid therefrom.

7. An external female urinal apparatus comprising a Waist band, an apron secured at its upper edge to said waist band and extending downwardly therefrom, a strap attached at the upper end thereof to said waist band, a flexible water-impervious sheet of generally triangular configuration attached to said apron and strap, said sheet having a generally oval opening therein with its major axis extending along a line between said apron and strap, a flexible foam plastic pad attached to said sheet and surrounding said opening, a funnel-like receiver of flexible,

water-impervious material attached at its larger end to said sheet on the side thereof opposite said pad and in surrounding relationship to said opening, and means at the smaller end of said receiver for conducting fluid therefrom.

8. An external female urinal apparatus comprising a waist band, an apron secured at its upper edge to said waist band and extending downwardly therefrom, a strap attached at the upper end thereof to said waist band, a flexible water-impervious sheet of generally triangular configuration attached to said apron and strap, said sheet having a generally oval opening therein with its major axis extending along a line between said apron and strap, a flexible foam plastic pad attached to said sheet and surrounding said opening, and a funnel-like receiver of flexible, Water-impervious material attached at its larger end to said sheet on the side thereof opposite said pad and in surrounding relationship to said opening.

9. A urinal adapted to be positioned at the vulva region of the 'body of a human female comprising an elongate sheet of material, said sheet being impervious to water and urine so as not to absorb urine which may come into contact therewith, and being pliable to thereby conform to the body of a said human female, said sheet having a generally elongate opening therein, said opening having its major axis extending longitudinally of said sheet, a pad on one side of said sheet, said pad surrounding said opening and being of flexible yieldable and resilient material, said pad being of lesser thickness at one end thereof and of greater thickness at the other end thereof with the thickness increasing in the direction of said axis of said opening, whereby it may engage with and substantially seal against the vulva region of a female human body, means extending from said sheet 0ppositely from said pad for receiving liquid passed through said opening, said means being of material which is pliable, foldable and impervious to water and urine, said means having a flexible tube attached to it in fluid conducting relationship at a point remote from said sheet, and substantially flexible means for securing said sheet and pad in position against the vulva region of a female human :body.

10. A urinal adapted to be positioned at the vulva region of the body of a human female consisting of: an elongate sheet of material, said sheet being impervious to water and urine so as not to absorb urine which may come into contact therewith, and being pliable to thereby conform to the body of said human female, said sheet having a generally elongate opening therein, said opening having its major axis extending longitudinally of said sheet, a pad on one side of said sheet, said pad surrounding said opening and being of flexible, yieldable and resilient material, said pad being of lesser thickness at one end thereof and of greater thickness at the other end thereof with the thickness increasing in the direction of 5 said axis of said opening, whereby it may engage with and substantially seal against the vulva region of a female human body, means extending from said sheet oppositely from said pad for receiving liquid passed through said opening, said means being of material which is pliable, foldable and impervious to water and urine, said means having a flexible tube attached to it in fluid conducting relationship at a point remote from said sheet, and substantially flexible means for securing said sheet and pad in position against the vulva region of a female human body.

11. A urinal adapted to be positioned at the vulva region of the body of a human female and consisting substantially entirely of pliable elements, said urinal comprising an elongate sheet of material, said sheet be ing impervious to water and urine so as not to absorb urine which may come into contact therewith, and being pliable to thereby conform to the body of a said human female, said sheet having a generally elongate opening therein, said opening having its major axis extending longitudinally of said sheet, a pad on one side of said sheet, said pad surrounding said opening and being of flexible, yieldable and resilient material, said pad being of lesser thickness at the front end thereof and of greater thickness at the rear end thereof when said urinal is in position, with the thickness increasing in the direction of said axis of said opening, whereby it may engage with and substantially seal against the vulva region of a female human body, means extending from said sheet oppositely from said pad for receiving liquid passed through said opening, said means being of material which is pliable, foldable and impervious to water and urine, said means having a flexible tube attached to it in fluid conducting relationship at a point remote from said sheet, all of said urinal parts surrounding said opening being pliable, flexible and yieldable, and substantially flexible means for securing said sheet and pad in position against the vulva region of a female human body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS L. W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner.

5 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Examiner.

ROBERT E. MORGAN, Assistant Examiner. 

9. A URINAL ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED AT THE VALVA REGION OF THE BODY OF A HUMAN FEMALE COMPRISING AN ELONGATE SHEET OF MATERIAL, SAID SHEET BEING IMPERVIOUS TO WATER AND URINE SO AS NOT TO ABSORB URING WHICH MAY COME INTO CONTACT THEREWITH, AND BEING PLIABLE TO THEREBY CONFORM TO THE BODY OF A SAID HUMAN FEMALE, SAID SHEET HAVING A GENERALLY ELONGATE OPENING THEREIN, SAID OPENING HAVING ITS MAJOR AXIS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SHEET, A PAD ON ONE SIDE OF SAID SHEET, SAID PAD SURROUNDING SAID OPENING AND BEING OF FLEXIBLE YIELDABLE AND RESILIENT MATERIAL, SAID PAD BEING OF LESSER THICKNESS AT ONE END THEREOF AND OF GREATER THICKNESS AT THE OTHER END THEREOF WITH THE THICKNESS INCREASING IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID AXIS OF SAID OPENING, WHEREBY IT MAY ENGAGE WITH AND SUBSTANTIALLY SEAL AGAINST THE VULVA REGION OF A FEMALE HUMAN BODY, MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID SHEET OPPOSITELY FROM SAID PAD FOR RECEIVING LIQUID PASSED THROUGH 